'Cats prove they have 9th life

Gregor's 2-run homer with one out in final inning a game winner

By Jess Koehler

Published 12:08 am, Thursday, August 8, 2013

Children cheer for freebies on Camp Day Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2013, as the Tri-City ValleyCats took on the Williamsport Crosscutters at Bruno Stadium in Troy N.Y. (Cindy Schultz / Times Union)

Children cheer for freebies on Camp Day Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2013, as...

Mikey Marrero, 13, with the Glens Falls YMCA Camp Chepontuc cheers for his team on Camp Day Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2013, as the Tri-City ValleyCats took on the Williamsport Crosscutters at Bruno Stadium in Troy N.Y. (Cindy Schultz / Times Union)

Mikey Marrero, 13, with the Glens Falls YMCA Camp Chepontuc cheers...

Meah Hercules, 6, with the Glens Falls YMCA Camp Chepontuc cheers for his team on Camp Day Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2013, as the Tri-City ValleyCats took on the Williamsport Crosscutters at Bruno Stadium in Troy N.Y. (Cindy Schultz / Times Union)

Meah Hercules, 6, with the Glens Falls YMCA Camp Chepontuc cheers...

Children with the Glens Falls YMCA Camp Chepontuc cheer for freebies on Camp Day Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2013, as the Tri-City ValleyCats took on the Williamsport Crosscutters at Bruno Stadium in Troy N.Y. (Cindy Schultz / Times Union)

Children with the Glens Falls YMCA Camp Chepontuc cheer for...

Carson Correa, 7, with Camp Saradac Recreation Center in Saratoga Springs celebrates a good play on Camp Day Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2013, as the Tri-City ValleyCats took on the Williamsport Crosscutters at Bruno Stadium in Troy N.Y. (Cindy Schultz / Times Union)

Carson Correa, 7, with Camp Saradac Recreation Center in Saratoga...

Children with the Colonie Youth Center hold up sign as they celebrate a home run on Camp Day Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2013, as the Tri-City ValleyCats took on the Williamsport Crosscutters at Bruno Stadium in Troy N.Y. (Cindy Schultz / Times Union)

Children with the Colonie Youth Center hold up sign as they...

Children with the Albany Police Athletic League dance to the music during a beverage break on Camp Day Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2013, as the Tri-City ValleyCats took on the Williamsport Crosscutters at Bruno Stadium in Troy N.Y. (Cindy Schultz / Times Union)

The Tri-City ValleyCats faced a one-run deficit and were down to their final two outs when first baseman Conrad Gregor stepped to the plate in the bottom of the ninth inning.

"I just tried to swing as hard as I could," Gregor said.

On a 3-2 offering, Gregor drilled a fastball over the fence in right-center, sending Tri-City to an 8-7 win over Williamsport at Bruno Stadium.

Gregor's two-run homer drew a crowd of ValleyCats to surround him at home plate.

"Words can't describe how I'm feeling right now," Gregor said. "I knew that guy was going to come with the fastball in that situation. The bat met the ball, and it was a great feeling. Thank goodness the wind was blowing out today."

Gregor's blast was one of seven home runs in the game. His teammate Michael Martinez belted a two-run shot in the sixth inning to give Tri-City a 4-3 advantage.

Williamsport hit five home runs, including four solo blasts off Tri-City reliever Tanner Bushue that came over the course of the sixth, seventh and eighth innings.

"Sometimes the pitchers, they don't have their best stuff, but we're going to pick them up," Martinez said. "More than plenty of times, we don't have our best stuff as an offense and they pick us up. That's what a team is. We fight for each other."

Tri-City took a 2-0 lead in the first inning, thanks in part to an RBI double by Gregor. With a 2-for-5 performance Wednesday, Gregor is 5-for-9 in two games, with three runs scored and three RBIs.

"I'm really happy for him," Tri-City manager Ed Romero said. "He's starting to swing the bat the way we felt he could."

In the fourth inning, the Crosscutters tied the game at 2 when Dylan Cozens belted a two-out, two-run home run off Tri-City starter Adrian Houser.

The right-hander gave up two runs, scattered five hits and struck out a season-high eight batters in 42/3 innings.

"Pretty much all my pitches were working (Wednesday)," Houser said. "I just left that one sinker up that the guy ended up catching and hitting the home run on."

With two home runs in the eighth inning, the Crosscutters jumped in front, 6-4. In the bottom half of the inning, Tri-City filled the bases with no outs, and Jack Mayfield pulled the ValleyCats within a run on a single. Jon Kemmer entered the game as a pinch-hitter and grounded out to bring home the game-tying run.

Williamsport regained the lead, 7-6, in the following inning on a double by Andrew Pullin.

"No one was really down (heading into the bottom of the ninth)," Gregor said. "We've been there before. I think everyone was focused, locked in and ready to put up a run or two to win the game."

Romero added: "This one is a good win, especially the way it happened. It shows me that these guys ... they battle. They don't quit."

The ValleyCats (29-21), who have won three in a row, will go for the series sweep when they host the Crosscutters (24-24) at 7 p.m. Thursday.

"We lost nine straight, so it would be nice to win nine straight and even it up," Martinez said. "Get back all of those games that we lost."